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Entryway of Hidden Garden House by Sam Crawford Architects
CategoriesInterior Design

Sam Crawford Architects tops Sydney home renovation with “garden oasis”

By Zarkon Group,

A private roof terrace enclosed by greenery features in Hidden Garden House, a Sydney home reconfigured by Australian studio Sam Crawford Architects.

Situated within a conservation zone, the home has been updated by Sam Crawford Architects to brighten its dark interior and transform it into an urban “sanctuary”.

Entryway of Hidden Garden House by Sam Crawford ArchitectsEntryway of Hidden Garden House by Sam Crawford Architects
An open-tread staircase has been added to the hallway

Alterations to the 198-square-metre home’s interior are first seen in its entrance, where a stair with open treads and a white-steel balustrade replaces a solid timber structure that previously restricted light from a skylight above.

Down from the entry hall is a spacious ground-floor kitchen and dining area, which is illuminated by 4.5-metre-high glass openings that lead out to a landscaped patio. The patio is paved with limestone tiles that extend out from the interior.

Renovated kitchen and dining area in Sydney home by Sam Crawford ArchitectsRenovated kitchen and dining area in Sydney home by Sam Crawford Architects
A curved concrete roof features in the kitchen

“By extending the ground floor finishes through the full-width doors into the rear yard, the garden and high-level green trellises at the rear of the site form the fourth wall to the rear wing,” studio director Sam Crawford told Dezeen.

“They create a sense of enclosure that draws the occupant’s eye up to the expanse of the sky rather than surrounding suburbia.”

Bathroom interior at Hidden Garden House in AustraliaBathroom interior at Hidden Garden House in Australia
Angled timber screens and greenery ensure privacy for the bathroom

A concrete ceiling in Hidden Garden House’s kitchen curves upwards to help draw in the winter sun and provide summer shading, while operable clerestory windows allow natural ventilation.

Above, this curved ceiling forms a sloped roof terrace filled with plants, which is situated off the main bedroom on the upper floor.

An ensuite bathroom, also lined with limestone floor tiles, has expansive openings offering a scenic yet private bathing experience enabled by angled timber screens and the terrace’s greenery.

“The rolling green roof serves as a visual barrier to the surrounding suburb, whilst allowing the occupants to occupy their private garden oasis,” added Crawford.

Living space interior of Hidden Garden House in SydneyLiving space interior of Hidden Garden House in Sydney
White walls and wooden furniture feature throughout the interior

Hidden Garden House’s consistent material palette of bright white walls and wooden furniture ties its living spaces together, while decorative square tiles line both the kitchen and bathrooms.

Curved details, such as the patio’s shape and the kitchen island and splashback, also feature throughout.

Terrace of Hidden Garden House in Sydney designed by Sam Crawford ArchitectsTerrace of Hidden Garden House in Sydney designed by Sam Crawford Architects
The home aims to be an urban “sanctuary”

Other alterations that were made to improve Hidden Garden House’s layout include the relocation of entrances to the ground floor laundry room and bathroom.

Elsewhere, Sam Crawford Architects has also created a restaurant topped with an oversized steel roof and a bridge modelled on the curving shape of eels.

The photography is by Tom Ferguson.

Project credits:

Architect: Sam Crawford Architects
Builder: Toki
Structural engineer: Cantilever Engineers
Civil & hydraulic engineer: Partridge
Acoustic engineer: Acoustic Logic
Heritage consultant: Damian O’Toole Town Planning
Quantity Surveyor: QS Plus
Landscape design: Gabrielle Pelletier, SCA
Roof garden supplier: Fytogreen Australia

Reference

Australia moves to ban engineered stone due to silicosis danger
CategoriesInterior Design

Australia bans engineered stone due to silicosis risk

By Zarkon Group,

Australia has become the first country in the world to ban engineered stone, following rising cases of silicosis among workers who handle the material.

The ban was agreed at a meeting of Australian federal and state workplace ministers on Wednesday, and will come into place across the country from 1 July 2024.

The ban targets engineered stone, also known as agglomerated stone – a type of material made by mixing crushed stone with a resin binder.

“This is a dangerous product”

While it is valued as a durable and affordable alternative to natural stone for kitchen benchtops, the material can be dangerous while being cut because it releases a fine silica dust into the air.

Australia has recorded rising cases of the lung disease silicosis in stonemasons who have handled the product, leading it to be dubbed “the asbestos of the 2020s” by union leader Zach Smith.

“This is a dangerous product that’s known to cause the potentially fatal disease silicosis, and it has no place in our workplaces,” said Queensland industrial relations minister Grace Grace in a statement following the meeting.

“The rate of silicosis illness in Australia for those working with engineered stone is unacceptable,” said her Western Australian counterpart Simone McGurk. “This prohibition will ensure future generations of workers are protected from silicosis associated with working with engineered stone.”

Ban follows report finding no safe level of silica in engineered stone

The move comes nine months after an investigation by three Australian news outlets accused supplier Caesarstone of not doing enough to warn people of the dangers of working with the material and the country’s construction union launched a campaign calling for the ban.

A subsequent report by the national policy body Safe Work Australia found that engineered stone workers were significantly over-represented in silicosis cases and were being diagnosed with the disease at much younger ages than workers from other industries, with most being under the age of 35.

It also found that the risk from engineered stone was distinct from that of natural stone due to the material’s physical and chemical composition, and that this was likely contributing to more rapid and severe disease.

The report concluded that no level of silica was safe in engineered stone and that the material should be prohibited in its entirety.

Silicosis is caused by tiny particles of silica becoming embedded in the lining of the lungs and manifests in symptoms such as shortness of breath, cough, weakness and fatigue.

The condition is life-altering and potentially fatal, with many formerly healthy young sufferers describing being unable to work or play with their kids.

Caesarstone commits to supplying Australia with “alternative products”

In response to news of the ban, Caesarstone commented that while it disagreed with the decision, it is taking the necessary steps to ensure supply of alternative materials to Australian consumers.

“The Caesarstone brand is well known in Australia and its products have earned tremendous success over the years,” said Caesarstone CEO Yos Shiran. “We are already taking steps to supply our Australian market with alternative products while maintaining our strong market presence.”

It has previously argued that its material is safe if handled correctly and that the silicosis danger was the fault of employers and work safety bodies.

Other companies including Ikea and Bunnings had already committed to phasing out the material in the Australian market.

The ban will apply to the manufacturing, supplying, processing and installing of engineered stone but not its removal, repair, disposal or minor modifications.

Australia’s workplace ministers will meet again in March 2024 to finalise details of the ban, including the transition period for contracts that have already been implemented and the precise definition of engineered stone.

The country’s Model Work Health and Safety Regulations currently exclude concrete and cement products, bricks and pavers, porcelain, ceramic tiles, roof tiles, grout, mortar and render, and plasterboard from the definition of engineered stone, but ministers have indicated that additional products would be added to the exemptions.

This may allow future engineered stone products to be exempted from the ban if there is “compelling evidence” that they can be used safely.

Reference

Monroe Street House by TBo
CategoriesInterior Design

Eight homes with light-filled kitchens from Australia to Slovenia

By Zarkon Group,

For our latest lookbook, we’ve chosen eight kitchens in contemporary homes where strategically placed windows and glazing create well-lit spaces for cooking and spending quality time with family and friends.

These light-filled kitchens feature different finishes, including marble, concrete, wood and glass, but are joined together by the sunlight that streams through their large windows, glazed doors or skylights.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring interiors with furry walls, sculptural wooden staircases and rustic Italian interiors.

Monroe Street House by TBo
Photo is by Matthew Williams

Monroe Street House, USA, by TBo

New York studio TBo updated a 124-year-old townhouse in Brooklyn to meet the demands of a modern, multi-generational family’s lifestyle.

Featuring a window that stretches from the worktop to the ceiling and glass doors that lead to an outdoor deck, the kitchen has maximised access to daylight and to the outdoors.

Find out more about Monroe Street House ›

Kitchen with concrete flooring, wood ceiling and a large kitchen island with seating
Photo is by Rohan Venn

Sydney bungalow extension, Australia, by Emily Sandstrom

Australian architect Emily Sandstorm restored this out-of-use 1930s bungalow in Sydney with reclaimed materials from the demolition of its small rear kitchen.

She sees the new kitchen, which features a kitchen island with a worktop of recycled Australian hardwood, as the centre of the home. A window wall creates views of an outdoor dining area and fills the room with light.

Find out more about the bungalow ›

Photo is by Nick Dearden

Glazed house extension, UK, by DHaus

As part of the rear extension to a house in Hertfordshire, UK, London studio DHaus opened up the original dark and cramped kitchen with a material palette of concrete, glass and Douglas fir timber.

The studio lowered the kitchen floor by one metre and connected the interior to the garden, with glazing lining the entire end of the extension to create a bright, welcoming space.

Find out more about the glass extension ›

AB design california renovation
Photo is by Jason Rick

Quarry House, USA, by AB Design Studio and House of Honey

West Coast-based architecture practice AB Design Studio renovated the Quarry House in California, a 1954 house that had fallen into disrepair, in collaboration with House of Honey, which was responsible for the interior design.

The kitchen was renewed with textured marble surfaces and a kitchen island, as well as Crittall-style windows and doors.

Find out more about Quarry House ›

House MM by a202 Arhitekti is a home in Slovenia
Photo is by Ana Skobe

House MM, Slovenia, by A202 Arhitekti

A202 Arhitekti transformed the traditional gabled house in Slovenia by removing all non-structural interior elements and adding a timber extension inside while preserving the shell of the property.

The studio built the kitchen with light-coloured materials in a minimalist style, adding a large window with a comfortable window seat for reading or contemplation.

Find out more about House MM ›

The kitchen is covered with marble clads
Photo is by Lorenzo Zandri

House extension, UK, by ConForm

Designed by ConForm, the light-filled kitchen in this Hampstead home is covered with white marble panels.

The patterns of light grey veins on adjoining surfaces were unmatched to “encourage a natural and textural language”, the studio said. Sliding doors open the room up to the garden.

Find out more about the Hampstead extension ›

Photo is by Peter Bennetts

10 Fold House, Australia, by Timmins + Whyte

Australian studio Timmins + Whyte added an extension with a folded roof that brings in extra natural light to this Melbourne home.

The kitchen included in the extended space was combined with the living room through a shared material palette of ribbed wood, marble and grey terrazzo.

Find out more about 10 Fold House ›

Photo is by Jeroen Verrecht

House C-DF, Belgium, by Graux & Baeyens Architecten

Belgian studio Graux & Baeyens Architecten was tasked to maximise the space in a narrow townhouse in Ghent that already had a rear kitchen extension.

The studio changed the gap between the old extension and the original house into a skylight and replaced the wall between the garden and the kitchen with a glass sliding door, which introduced additional light to the ground-floor kitchen.

Find out more about House C-DF ›

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring interiors with furry walls, sculptural wooden staircases and rustic Italian interiors.

Reference

Australia’s New Road Asphalt from Coffee Cup Recycled Waste - Zarkon Group News Blog - FAH33M
CategoriesConstruction International News

Australia’s New Road Asphalt from Coffee Cup Recycled Waste

By Zarkon Group,

Australia’s New Road Asphalt from Coffee Cup Recycled Waste

An Australian asphalt company is hoping it will soon be able to use discarded coffee cups to pave the country’s roads.

To make this happen, State Asphalt Services in western Sydney has teamed up with Simply Cups, a recycling program that helps turn paper and plastic cups into new products. The two entities were brought together by an organization called Closed Loop, which matches companies selling waste to companies that can turn that waste into fresh material.

State Asphalt Services has taken the different elements of used coffee cups — paper, plastic, lids, and liners — and turned them into cellulose, which binds a road surface together. A test strip held together with this substance has proven to be strong and able to withstand heavy trucks driving back and forth on it. “It’s a better performance product than what we were producing before,” State Asphalt Services director John Kypreos told The Guardian.

His company is getting closer to being able to use the product on actual roads in Australia, and Kypreos said the goal is to one day have a road made entirely of recycled material. He also hopes his collaboration inspires similar partnerships that can cut down on waste. – Catherine Garcia

Australia’s New Road Asphalt from Coffee Cup Recycled Waste

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